Surgical



E. N. SMART.

SURGICAL APPLIANCE. APPLICATION HLED AUG-22. I917.

1,313,344. v Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

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E. N. SMART SURGICAL APPLIANCE.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG.22. l9l7- 1 ,3 1 3, 344:, Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

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a the skin and which will be of extremely sim- EDWARD N. SMART, OF MADISON, NEBRASKA.

SURGICAL APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. SMART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Madison and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Surgical Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in surgical appliances, and refers particularly to a metal surgical splint for use on fractured limbs.

' The primary object of this invention is the provision of surgical splint made of metal, which is pliable and capable of adjustment to fit any limb and to suit the particular kind of fracture it may be required for.

A further object of my invention is the production of a splint of the character stated, which will in no manner rub or chafe ple construction, thereby producing an ap pliance of this character which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, it'

being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

of the leg.

Fig. 2 represents a side view of the forearm with my splint used thereon, the usual bandages and cast being omitted in order that my invention may 'be more clearly shown.

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the invention.

Fig-4 represents a top plan view of my inventidn, in which view six supporting wires are used.

Fig. 5 represents a traiisvers e sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

is used as the end the wires;

Patented Aug. 19, 191 9.

Application filed August 22, 1917. Serial No. 187,582.

fashion Wooden splints as it can be flexed or bentto conform to-the shape of any limb or portion of the limb, but still is sufficiently strong and stifi to retain the form into which 'it is bent to properly support the fractured bone.

The invention is simplicity itself and conslsts of the pliable plates 10, preferably of soft copper or the like having the raised or struck up portions 11 through which pass the longitudinal retaining or supporting Wires 12 which are also pliable and of soft copper or the like. i

One of these plates 10, as indicated at 10 late and the ends 13 of the Wires 12 are cut around or curved and engage the openings or passages 14 under the struckup portions 11, through which the next adjacent wire passes, as shown in Fig. 3.

As many of the plates 10 may be used as required, and also as many wires 12 may be used, the plates 10 of course being provided with suflicient openings 14: to accommodate v See Fig. 1 in which four (4) plates 10 are utilized, and in Fig. 2, only three (3) of these plates are used.

As will be at once apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appert-alns, my splint is used in practicallyth'e same manner as the old wooden splint; however, the plates 10 and the wires 12 are adapted to be bent to conform to the shape of the limb or to suit the fracture being treated and then wrapped with bandages as is usually the case.

I claim a 1. A surgical splint comprising two flat plates spaced from each other, a series of substantially parallel and spaced wires having their opposite ends connected to said plates respectively, one or more other plates arranged transversely of said wires and connected thereto between said first plates, said plates and wires bein of pliable material having sufiicient rigi 'ty to retain their applied shapes under normal conditions, whereby the splint may be shaped torequired forms.

2. A surgical splint comprising two flat plates spaced apart and having a plurality of spaced loops struck from said plates, a

series of spaced and ara'llel wires each hav- I In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 'ing its opposite en s extending through a, in the presence of two witnesses.

project in the loop of an adjacent wire, and Witnesses:

corresponding loop in said plates, respectively, and having its extremities bent to EDWARD an intermediate plate having loops struck .JEs'sIE M. GILLAND, therefrom through which said wires pass. J AMIES NICHOLS. 

